Pucks On The Net: 2014 Stanley Cup Final Preview

Here are some interesting stats and notes about the upcoming 2014 Stanley Cup final between the New York Rangers and Los Angeles Kings:

The New York Rangers are 225-241-8 all-time in 474 Stanley Cup playoff contests (126-93-2 at home; 99-148-6 on road). This is their 11th Stanley Cup final. They have won 4 times.

Los Angeles is 106-135 in 241 career Stanley Cup playoff games (59-55 at home,  47-80 on road, 25-27 all-time in overtime). This is their 3rd Stanley Cup final. They won in 2012.

The New York Rangers have played the Los Angeles Kings twice before in Stanley Cup playoffs history.

In 1979 the Rangers won a best of 3 quarterfinal 2 games to 0. Two years later the Rangers won a best of 5 series 3 games to 1.

Even though these two teams have been in the league together since 1967, they have only played 127 regular season games in nearly 50 years. The Rangers hold the all time series advantage at 66-44-17.

The Rangers and Kings played twice in the 2013-14 season, splitting the series at 1-1. The road team won each time. The Rangers held the Kings to one goal in each of the two games. Brad Richards led all skaters with two goals, while Rick Nash led the team with two assists. Henrik Lundqvist posted a 1-1-0 record with a 1.01 GAA and a .966 SV% in the two contests.

Historically Henrik Lundqvist has not dominated Los Angeles. In 8 career regular season games vs the Kings he is just 3-4-1 with a 2.47 GAA.

Rick Nash leads all Rangers shooters with career numbers of 15-16-31 in 35 regular games vs the Kings. Brad Richards is next 9-20-29 in 29 games. Martin St. Louis is 6-9-16 in 15 career games.

Jonathan Quick has only played the Rangers three times in his career. He's 2-1 with a 1.97 GAA and .920 save percentage

Mike Richards is 13-14-27 in 40 games to lead all Kings players in career scoring vs. NYR. Jeff Carter is 7-11-18 in 42 games.

In seven games against NYR Drew Doughty has never scored a point and is -6.

Anze Kopitar is 3-5-8 in 9 career games vs NYR.

Alain Vigneault is the 5th coach to lead NYR to the Stanley Cup final in his first full season as coach of the Rangers (1993-94 –Mike Keenan; 1978-79 –Fred Shero; 1939-40 –Frank Boucher; 1949 - Lynn Patrick.)

Vigneault is only the 10th head coach in NHL history to steer two or more different teams to the Stanley Cup final:

• Scotty Bowman (1968-1970 St. Louis; 1976-1979 Montreal; 1992 Pittsburgh; 1995, 1997-98, 2002 Detroit)
• Fred Shero (1974-1975 Philadelphia; 1979 N.Y. Rangers)
• Pat Quinn (1980 Philadelphia; 1994 Vancouver)
• Bob Johnson (1986 Calgary; 1991 Pittsburgh)
• Mike Keenan (1985, 1987 Philadelphia; 1992 Chicago; 1994 N.Y. Rangers)
• Pat Burns (1989 Montreal; 2003 New Jersey)
• Mike Babcock (2003 Anaheim; 2008, 2009 Detroit)
• Darryl Sutter (2004 Calgary; 2012 Los Angeles)
• Peter Laviolette (2006 Carolina; 2010 Philadelphia)
• Alain Vigneault (2011 Vancouver; 2014 N.Y. Rangers)